Great interest has developed in metal frame furniture which has progressed from the basic simple metal frame table of the past to highly attractive table configurations which one is proud to have grace their living room. The attractiveness of such tables often has been the result of the attractive combination of highly polished metals framework and sparkling glass. Tables of this type have been produced in which the four legs and a rectangular frame have been welded into a single assembly and a glass top has been located on top of the frame with suitable restrainers, recessed within a stepped frame. In certain cases, the top is supported below the upper surface of the frame. This type of table has epitomized the metal frame table in its most popular form.
Recently, an attractive variation on the foregoing metal frame table has appeared in which the frame and leg members are all tubes which are interconnected by corner members which may be of stamped or die cast metal. In certain cases, the corner member has been given an ornamental coating such as brass plating differing from the finish on the metal tube providing an attractive contrast. This type of corner assembly has produced a near duplicate in function if not exact appearance of the welded frame table.
Both types of tables described above suffer from one serious limitation in that as a permanent structure they define a three dimensional shape determined by the length and width of the top and the height of the legs. Commonly, each table must be separately boxed and separately transported. The volume of the furniture becomes a burden and special provisions must be made to avoid the legs punching through a box if not properly handled or stored. Such a pair of problems as excess volume and danger of damage are truly of serious concern in the furniture industry.